Politics

NEWS 2/21/26 8:33pm

U.S. House passes SAVE America Act, Senate to consider it soon

By Trista Panagakos

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act was passed by the United States House of Representatives by a vote of 218-213 on Feb. 11, with one Democrat breaking party lines to vote to pass the bill. The bill will now be considered by the Senate, where it needs 60 votes to pass before going to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature. 

NEWS 2/20/26 7:30pm

New SNAP work requirements implemented in North Carolina

By Trista Panagakos

SNAP is a program that provides food assistance to lower-income individuals and families to help offset the cost of groceries. The program is funded by the federal government and state governments offset administrative costs. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, over one million North Carolinians receive SNAP benefits. 

NEWS 2/20/26 11:30am

State Senate primary threatens to topple North Carolina’s political hierarchy

By Miles Hayford

Over his 26 years in the North Carolina State Senate, Sen. Phil Berger has carved out significant influence, and since becoming the Senate leader in 2011, he has been one of the most powerful political players in the state. But Berger’s grip on the state’s Republican Party is now at risk of tumbling away due to a popular, cowboy hat-wearing sheriff from Rockingham County. Sam Page, who has been the sheriff of Rockingham County since 1998, is running against Berger for State Senate District 26, which includes Rockingham County and parts of Guilford County.

NEWS 2/17/26 11:20am

Brandon Enoch’s Trail for Green Level widens

By Alex Nettles

A long road led Brandon Enoch to become the town administrator of Green Level, a role assumed at the beginning of this year. He first worked in Green Level as the parks and recreation director. Now, he wants to bring the Green Level Woodland Trail, adventure tourism and a higher tax base to the town. 

NEWS 2/11/26 5:38pm

North Carolina Supreme Court prepares for 2026 Election

By Alannah Klingsporn

The North Carolina Supreme Court is preparing to have another election in 2026. Democratic incumbent Anita Earls and Representative Sarah Stevens will be facing off in Nov. for the court seat. This election comes after Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin didn’t concede the 2024 Supreme Court race to Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs until May 2025, after a six-month legal battle.

NEWS 2/11/26 9:54am

Elon Town Council reviews sustainability efforts, ordinance amendments

By Elissa Leka

The Elon Town Council received an annual update from the Sustainability Committee, held public hearings for a Land Management Ordinance text amendment and Elon University text amendment and addressed proposed ordinances and resolutions in chapters 13 and 17. There were no participants in the public comments portion of the agenda. 

NEWS 2/7/26 10:06am

City council leads new projects across Graham

By Alice Morrissey

Now two months into her city council term, Graham’s new mayor Chelsea Dickey has begun leading several projects and initiatives across the city. Dickey has focused on setting goals for the remainder of her term with support from the council. In a Facebook post on Jan. 20, she announced the completion of a workshop with fellow council members where they outlined priorities for the upcoming budget cycle. During the workshop the council created their three-year goals including continuing to support parks and recreation initiatives, promoting economic growth in Graham, maintaining infrastructure, improving safety, and strengthening community engagement.

NEWS 2/3/26 6:46pm

NC College Democrats sue State Board of Elections over early voting access

By Kate Gray

The College Democrats of North Carolina and four college students sued the North Carolina State Board of Elections and several state and local election officials over the denial of on-campus early voting sites for the 2026 primary election. At their meeting Jan. 13, the NCSBE heard from 12 county boards of elections that had not come to unanimous decisions on their early voting plans.

NEWS 1/28/26 2:22pm

Elon Town Council discusses possible acquisition of Labcorp property

By Trista Panagakos

The Elon Town Council discussed possible funding paths for a new municipal building and police station. The Town agreed to purchase a Labcorp property at 112 Orange Drive in the fall. The purchase has not gone through and members debated costs Jan. 27. There were no participants in the public comments portion of the meeting. 

NEWS 1/5/26 9:34am

Elon University’s SGA to implement suggestion boxes on campus, look to make an impact in the spring

By Trista Panagakos

Elon University’s Student Government Association had an eventful fall semester following the implementation of a new funding model, freshman elections and an atypical town hall. “Change is change,” Vice President of Communications for SGA Kennedy Steiner said. “People don't always love change, but I think for the future, I think this could be really good, people asking, maybe why something didn't get funded, and just making sure everything was as equitable as possible for organizations.” 

NEWS 1/1/26 3:36pm

NC Rep. Stephen Ross to not seek re-election after 6 terms

By Anjolina Fantaroni

North Carolina state Rep. Stephen Ross announced he will not seek re-election, ending his sixth term after more than three decades in public service. Ross has spent more than three decades in public service, previously serving as a member of  Burlington City Council, Mayor of Burlington and chairman of the Piedmont Triad Council of Governments. He said he reached a point where he felt it was time to step aside. Ross said he wants to spend more time with his family. Ryan Moffitt, an Elon Law alum and Burlington attorney, has announced his candidacy for the seat.

NEWS 12/17/25 3:18pm

North Carolinians rate public schools poorly in new Elon Poll

By Nia Bedard

As K-12 students across North Carolina prepare for their winter break, the Elon University Poll released poll data on Dec. 17 finding that most North Carolinians gave mediocre or poor grades to public schools across the state. “The states have always had deep authority on education, but there has been more federal involvement in various years,” Director of the Elon University Poll Jason Husser said. “So we thought, well, this is the time for us to really look in depth about what do people think about North Carolina schools.”

NEWS 12/10/25 3:34pm

Defensores en contra de la pena de muerte reaccionan a ‘La Ley de Iryna,’ posibles implicaciones

By Miles Hayford

Ante la posibilidad de que la "Ley de Iryna" reintroduzca la pena de muerte en Carolina del Norte, los defensores de la abolición de la pena capital están reaccionando a esta nueva legislación. "Es un despropósito, es perjudicial, y nos opondremos a ella con todas nuestras fuerzas, junto con nuestros colaboradores, e intentaremos contrarrestar las consecuencias negativas que ya han comenzado a manifestarse a raíz de esta ley", declaró Noel Nickle, director ejecutivo de la Coalición de Carolina del Norte para Alternativas a la Pena de Muerte.

NEWS 12/10/25 8:06am

Advocates against the death penalty react to ‘Iryna’s Law,’ potential implications

By Miles Hayford

As ‘Iryna’s Law’ potentially brings back the death penalty to North Carolina, anti-death penalty advocates are reacting to this new legislation. “It's a mess, and it's harmful, and we will stand against it as best we can with all of our partners and try to defeat the negative ramifications that have already started to take place because of it,” said Noel Nickle, the executive director of the North Carolina Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. 

NEWS 12/9/25 10:41pm

Elon Town Council swears in recently elected members

By Alannah Klingsporn

Elon Town Council swore in new member Steve Exum during their meeting on Dec. 9. Returning council member Randy Orwig and Mayor Emily Sharpe were resworn into their current positions, with Monti Allison being resworn in as Mayor Pro Tem. Steve Exum thanked his family for their support and talked about what he is looking forward to accomplishing as a member of the town council. “I do want to be a bridge builder, a teammate, a lister,” Exum said towards the end of the meeting. “I want to help Elon grow wisely, with opportunity for all and with heart.”

NEWS 12/2/25 11:21pm

Burlington swears in first female mayor

By Alice Morrissey

Surrounded by friends and family, Burlington’s first female mayor, Beth Kennett, was sworn into office at the Burlington City Council meeting on Dec. 2. The meeting was held in the Hugh M. Cummings High School auditorium, which was filled with Burlington locals and supporters of Kennett. Before adjourning the meeting, Kennett reaffirmed her commitment to being a voice for the people of Burlington. “I’m not here to make your choices; I’m here to work with you to make Burlington the best it can be,” Kennett said.

NEWS 11/22/25 9:35am

North Carolina budget stalemate enters 4th month

By Miles Hayford

Over four months after the fiscal year began, the North Carolina General Assembly is still yet to pass a state budget. The GOP controls both the House and Senate but disagreements over scheduled tax cuts and state employee raises have divided the two chambers for months. “There’s an old adage in politics, that the other party is the opposition and the other chamber is the enemy and I think you're seeing that,” Western Carolina University political science professor Christopher Cooper said. “Just because you're a member of the same party doesn't mean that you necessarily see eye to eye on some major issues.” 

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